


Is this real life? Is this just fantasy?

by PuddleDuck



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Imaginary Friends, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 21:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16731192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuddleDuck/pseuds/PuddleDuck
Summary: When you're procrastinating, so instead of finishing your big novel project, you work on a small thing instead...Feedback and criticism is encouraged! So if you notice any mistakes (large or minor) please point them out!~PuddleDuck~





	Is this real life? Is this just fantasy?

**Author's Note:**

> When you're procrastinating, so instead of finishing your big novel project, you work on a small thing instead...
> 
> Feedback and criticism is encouraged! So if you notice any mistakes (large or minor) please point them out!
> 
> ~PuddleDuck~

Keith was eight years old when he first met the tanned skin boy.

It was a hot summer’s afternoon and, despite the heat battering into him, he was speed-walking down the street, trainers smacking the pavement with a fury-filled vigour. Bruises littered his skin from the skirmish he had gotten into with some of the older children at school, a particularly nasty one making itself known on the side of his ribs from a subpar punch that had just gotten lucky with its placement. It throbbed painfully, screaming in protest when he subconsciously prodded it. However, the pain from his bruises could not be compared to the drum sounding in his head, the pressure building behind his eyes as he fought back the tears he didn’t wish to spill.

Barely holding himself together, he stalked into the nearby park, weaving through the happy couples and giggling children until he reached the edge of the trees. Slipping into the shade, away from prying eyes, he broke into a flat out run. He surrendered the fight against his tears allowing them to flow freely, the wind whipping them from his face.

It wasn’t fair that the older children got of scot-free? Whilst he, not only had his social worker called, but was given after school detention for the rest of the week? Sure, he had a bit of a temper, but he wasn’t the one who had started the fight no matter what the other children said and what the adults were willing to believe. The rationality of the parents was shadowed by the podium they’d placed the children on; they only noticed the bruises and cuts adorning their own children’s skin, completely ignoring the ones on Keith as their dear darlings weren’t possibly capable of such behaviour (they’d been raised better than an immoral orphan boy, after all).

Keith’s lungs were begging him to take a break or at least slow down slightly, but he was unwilling to allow the negative emotions to catch back up to him. He had to keep running. He would have ran forever had it not been for a pesky branch sticking out haphazardly from the ground. Keith’s trainer caught the underside of it, sending him sprawling into the ground. Might as well add a couple more scrapes to his collection seeing as no one takes any notice any way?

He continued to cry into the dirt, not having the will or energy to pick himself back up again. He could feel the dirt getting into his nose every time he sniffed but he was beyond caring at this point. He just wanted to become one with the ground. To lay here for the rest of his life, undisturbed by horrible children. 

It wasn’t until he heard a distinct thump next to him, that Keith lifted his head. He startled violently at the sight of two blue eyes staring at him. The tanned boy, who couldn’t have been much older than Keith himself, stood with his hands behind his back, head cocked at a 90-degree angle as he leant down to look at Keith. Keith glared back at the boy before realising that tears were still freely exiting his eyes. He quickly sat up, legs crossed, as he swiped his hands across his eyes in quick succession removing the fresh tears. 

The strange boy had decided that, rather than say anything like a normal person, he was going to plonk himself right down in front of Keith and continue to stare. Disconcerted, Keith made to stand up, but a small hand grasped his wrist and pulled him back down with a little bit more force than necessary. He fell into the boy, knocking him over onto his back with Keith on his chest. Keith froze, shocked, internal panic button being smacked repeatedly as he waited for the boy to shove him off. Surprisingly, the boy just began laughing loudly, wrapping his arms around Keith’s back as he continued to giggle brightly. Keith lifted his head, watching the boy as he laughed, face brightened considerably with mirth. Keith couldn’t help but grin along with he boy who, at having seen his smile, grinned even more.

“You smiled!” He announced happily, lisping slightly. Keith flushed pink, pale skin making the blush a stark contrast, and buried his head back into the boy’s chest to cover it. The boy shifted beneath him, making an effort to sit up but still holding firmly onto Keith. Once they were sat upright, the boy released Keith scooting backwards slightly so that the two of them were not practically sat on each other’s laps. The boy extended his hand, introducing himself: “I’m Leo.”

“Keith,” Keith said shortly, taking the offered hand and giving it a small nervous squeeze instead of a handshake. The boy – Leo – snorted slightly but didn’t comment on the exchange, instead returning the squeeze before standing up, pulling Keith with him. Keith stumbled slightly but was steadied by Leo.  
At Leo’s suggestion the boy’s spent the rest of the afternoon, and much of the early evening, playing within the expanse of trees: climbing them, playing hide and seek and even seeing how many of the adults they could scare when they walked by. 

Many of Keith’s days were spent this way from that point on; he spent the necessary amount of time at school (though some time he would skip out if he felt like it) and the rest would be spent within their little area of trees playing make-believe and building a strong friendship. Keith had often asked Leo why he never seemed to be in school, but the topic was either swiftly diverted from or ignored entirely. It was strange to say the least, but Keith was too caught up in having his first real friend to notice the oddness of the situation.  


It wasn’t until Keith had attempted to invite Leo around to his foster home for the umpteenth time, promptly being rejected, that he lost his patience. The hurt at the continuous rejections overflowed, surprising both him and Leo, as it came out as biting words and one unexpected slap to the face. The resounding slap shocked Keith back into himself, sending ice-cold water over the flames of his anger. A chill spread throughout his being as he stared at his hand, disgusted with himself. Leo stood holding his cheek, the skin becoming redder by the second in the shape of a handprint. Keith scrunched his hands into fists, nails biting his skin as he shook his head side-to-side roughly before taking off through the trees and out of the park, not stopping until he was wound tightly up in his duvet.

He didn’t go back to their place for a week.

Feeling remorseful, but now filled with the determination to apologise properly, unwilling to let this friendship fall apart, Keith walked solemnly down to the edge of the trees where he stood frozen staring into the shade. A familiar hand landed on his shoulder, startling him. He whirled round, faced with the blue eyes of his friend who meant so much to him. Hanging his head in shame, he took a deep breath before apologising.

“I’m sorry,” they said in surprised unison, whipping their heads up to stare at each other shocked before beginning to smile, happy that neither of them was still angry at the other.  
As Keith continued to smile, Leo’s expression began to become slightly serious again. “I know you’ve asked me many times to come over to your house,” he began. “And I do want to. I really do. I just…don’t think you’d be happy about it once we got there.”

Keith furrowed his brows confused. “What do you mean I wouldn’t be happy about it once we got there?”

Leo sighed deeply. “You’ll see,” he said ominously. He grabbed Keith by the hand, smiling fakely as he pulled Keith out of the trees, through the park and down the street.  
“Now which way?” He asked.

“Which way to where?” Keith questioned, not yet having caught up with the events that had led them here: one minute he’s apologising, the next he’s being dragged somewhere.  
“To your house,” Leo said exasperated. “You wanted me to come with you, so we’re going.”

Keith dug his heels in. “You don’t have to go just because I kept pestering you about it,” he said.

“That’s not why I’m doing this,” Leo reassured. “Trust me.”

Keith led the rest of the way back to his foster home, opening the door and inviting Leo inside. The shouts and screams of children welcomed them and the angry matron could be heard yelling at some of the older children. The matron came thumping down the stairs and, upon seeing Keith at the door, notified him that he still hadn’t done his chores. Keith ignored her in favour of yanking Leo upstairs with him. They walked into his room and Keith resolutely slammed the door shut. He pulled out a chess board that he had stashed away to stop the other children from stealing it and started up a game with Leo. 

Fifteen minutes into their game and one of the older boys came bursting in through the door, spotting Keith sat on the floor, he stopped in his tracks smirking meanly.  
“Why are you playing chess by yourself, Keithy?” He questioned. “Did none of the other kids want to play with the freak?”

Keith stared him down before moving his gaze onto Leo who hung his head staring holes into the chess board. “I’m not playing chess by myself,” he gritted out. “Can’t you see that Leo’s playing with me? Or are you blind as well as stupid?”

The older boy flushed angrily. “There’s no one playing with you, freak! You’re just sat on the floor, by yourself, playing a pathetic game of one-man chess!”

Keith, confused by why the older kid was so adamant that he was playing by himself, looked to Leo for answers. Leo just shrugged his shoulders sadly before standing up and walking over to the older boy. He stood in front of him and waved his hand in front of his face. The older kid showed no sign of having seen Leo, settling a cold, heavy feeling into the pit of Keith’s stomach. He swallowed the lump that had risen, his hands beginning to shake.

“Why can’t he see you Leo?” He asked, voice shaking as fear filled him.

“Because I’m not real,” Leo answered. “I’m not real.”

Those words cut Keith deeply. His only friend – the only friend he’s ever had – wasn’t real? It was like a scene out of a nightmare playing live right in front of his eyes. The pressure behind Keith’s eyes returned and he gulped down the beginning of a sob. Leo’s expression cracked painfully, becoming heartbroken.

“I’m so sorry, Keith.”

Keith stood up abruptly, throwing the chess piece he had been holding onto the floor. He kicked the chess board across the room, before slamming past the older boy and barrelling down the stairs and out the door. Keith ran like he had the first day he had met Leo – or thought he had met Leo because obviously he hadn’t because he wasn’t real apparently! Keith was obviously going insane, he thought. Normal people don’t see unreal people at this age. Imaginary friends are for young children and Keith had outgrown that (not that he had actually ever grown into it).

Keith didn’t return home until late at night, at which point he was promptly scolded by the matron. Keith didn’t return back to his and Leo’s place after that either. Actually, Keith never saw Leo again after that incident and was certain that he never would – or at least that was what he had believed until he had enrolled in the Galaxy Garrison.

It was a few days after their induction, Keith was sat alone at one of the tables in the canteen enjoying his lunch when a bright familiar laugh sounded through the room. Keith threw his head up, looking around desperately, certain he had imagined it, but a familiar tanned appearance and blue eyes locked onto his own from across the room. Taken by surprise, Keith did what he does best: glare. He glared at the blue-eyed boy whose once happy smile fell, being replaced by a confused look of his own. Keith turned his attention back to his lunch, panic button being smacked at top-speeds. He picked up his tray, dumped it on the rubbish table and made a quick exit.

The similarities between that boy and Leo just had to be a coincidence, right? Leo wasn't actually real - that much Keith knew for certain. So, who was that familiar, but at the same time completely new, boy?

Keith had rushed out of the canteen so quickly, he missed the glare the boy threw back at him.


End file.
